Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has promised that the city council will deliver a balanced budget this year.

He made the pledge in a discussion with the Post's Political Editor Ian Onions during a live webcast earlier today.

He was asked: "Is the city in danger of going bankrupt?"

Mr Rees replied: "No, we will develop a balanced budget.

"There are challenges all the time but I am absolutely convinced that we will bring in a balanced budget."

His comments follow in the wake of a spending freeze which was announced on Wednesday which will put a halt to non-essential maintenance work to our roads, public buildings and parks and open spaces.

There will also be no renewal of contracts, starting new ones or taking on new staff.

The freeze is intended to help balance the books for this year's budget which currently has a shortfall of nearly £28million.

But this figure is expected to come down at Tuesday's cabinet meeting to £16.5million with a series of financial measures and the use of reserves.

Mr Rees said he now had a strong financial team in place to deliver a balanced budget by the end of March.

He said he wanted to re-design how Bristol City Council operated so it brought together all sections of the community.

He added that the council should not just be seen as a deliverer of services - it should be seen as an enabler to support other bodies and organisations to help provide what people needed.

Mr Rees was quizzed about the cuts which must be made in the future.

During the next five years, the council must save £92million. Council officers have drawn up a list of proposals which affect all sections of society.

A lollipop lady shows children across a road.

Community meals, libraries, PCSOs (Police Community Service Officers), lollipop attendants outside schools and financial support for people on low incomes to pay their council tax bills are just some of the areas of spending which are likely to be hit.

But the proposals only amount to £27million and do not meet the projected deficit in the years ahead.

Mr Rees said he did not want to detract from the seriousness of the situation but most councils faced the same financial issues.

He said they were working more closely together to put up a united front and argue their case with the Government in the hope of winning more funding.

The mayor baulked at the idea of getting involved in high-profile protesting. He said it was his job to negotiate with the Government and argue the case for more investment.

One of the ways in which the council could do this itself was to attract more firms to Bristol which would help the local economy and increase council income from business rates.

He added that early intervention measures were another way of investing-to-save. For every pound spent, for example, on helping people at an early stage with mental health issues, there is a payback on the amount saved before they become very poorly.

Drastic cuts are just around the corner and hundreds of council staff will lose their jobs by the end of the financial year - but council tax bills will be going up from April.

They are expected to rise by 3.95 per cent which is about £50 a year for an average council tax payer.

Mr Rees was asked if winning the election was like winning a jail sentence.He said: "There is a fundamental truth about my attitude to being mayor and that is I love my job. I thrive on it. This is my city, I grew up in it.

"I have the greatest respect for those who are rallying around - from the universities, Business West, the voluntary sector, everyone - to make this city work."